Beauty and the Beast
by xRJLupinx
Summary: Based on the film 'Beauty and the Beast', Remus needs someone to love him and end his curse, Hermione needs a new life and adventure, and Draco needs Hermione to marry him, no matter what. RLHG, DMHG
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This is another story I wrote a long time ago. I think I started writing this at the end of 2003? Can't remember. Anyway, I do not own these characters, and I do not own 'Beauty and the Beast', which this fic is based on (and also happens to be the name of the Remus/Hermione ship on Fiction Alley). I do not own these songs, they belong to Disney. And why have people been singing in some of my fics? (i.e. The Wizard of Black). I have no idea. I just felt like it. And another thing, this was written before Blaise Zabini was confirmed to be a boy, so sorry Blaise, but you are a girl in this story.

* * *

Once upon a time in the wizard world, there lived a young boy named Remus Lupin. Remus and his parents lived in a small house in the village. Remus was a very intelligent boy, and his parents prided him on it and thought him to be the best son in the village. 

Then one night an old woman came to the Lupin family's home. She offered Mr. and Mrs. Lupin a single rose in exchange for a night's stay from the cold. Mr. and Mrs. Lupin declined and told her to leave. The woman told them that beauty had a way of deceiving, but Mr. and Mrs. Lupin did not care, and Mr. Lupin ordered her to leave again.

The old woman revealed herself to be the beautiful sorceress, Morgan LeFay. Mr. Lupin bowed down before her and tried to apologize, but Morgan had seen that he was very snobbish to outsiders and did not have a kind heart toward them. She cast a powerful spell on Remus, and he became a werewolf, doomed to become a monstrous wolf once a month on the full moon night.

Mr. and Mrs. Lupin told Remus what he was now, and because it was a matter of shame for them to have a werewolf for a son, they sent him away. Remus ran off and eventually found a castle to live in, but the spell continued onto the castle, casting it into darkness and the inhabitants into household items.

A few weeks after the spell had been cast, Morgan realized that she should have cursed Mr. and Mrs. Lupin instead of turning their son into a werewolf. However, what was done was done and she was not going to change it all back so fast. The rose she had offered was an enchanted rose, and she left it with Remus. The rose would continued to bloom for years, and if he could learn to love someone and have them love him in return before the rose completely wilted, the werewolf curse and the spell upon the castle would be broken. But if not, the people in the castle would remain household items and Remus would be a werewolf forever.

Days turned into weeks, which turned into months that turned into years, and Remus stayed unloved and shut up in the castle. He didn't leave, and viewed the world he was shunted from by using a magic mirror. As the days passed, Remus became more moody, depressed, and angered.

After all, who could ever learn to love a werewolf?

---

In the village of Diagon Alley lived Hermione Granger. She had a passion for reading, and it was not very often that you would see her not reading a book. Today, however, she was leaving her comfy little home to take a stroll into town, and go to the bookshop.

Hermione stepped outside into the beautiful weather. The sun was perfect, bright, but not too bright, the air smelled sweet, the flowers were in bloom, and the town was relatively quiet. She started off down the road and began singing to herself.

_"Little town_

_It's a quiet village_

_Ev'ry day_

_Like the one before_

_Full of little people_

_Waking up to say-"_

Hermione had just reached the beginning of the center of the village, when the other residents began greeting each other.

_"Hello!_

_Hello!_

_Hello! Hello! Hello!"_

Hermione looked up at them, and then saw the daily routine was beginning already.

_"There goes the baker with his tray, like always_

_The same old bread and rolls to sell_

_Ev'ry moment just the same_

_Since the moment that we came_

_To this poor provincial town."_

The baker spotted her and greeted her. "Good morning, Hermione!"

"Good morning," she replied.

"Where are you going today?" the baker asked.

"The bookshop. Yesterday I borrowed a book, and it was the most wonderful story! Would you like to know what it's about?"

"That's nice," said the baker nonchalantly, not even replying properly to the question. He turned back to his shop. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some baking to do."

Hermione shrugged and set off down the streets of the town again. She wasn't that popular with the townspeople though. Everyone thought she was odd, just because she liked to read. She just didn't understand it.

And as she passed, some women began talking about her.

_"Look, there she goes, that girl is strange, no question_

_Dazed and distracted, can't you tell?_

_Never part of any crowd_

_'Cause her head's up on some cloud_

_No denying she's a funny girl, 'Mione,"_

Hermione ignored them and carried on walking, looking over at the people that she passed.

_"Hello!" _said a man to a woman passing by him.

_"Good day!" _the woman answered.

_"How is your fam'ly?"_

_"Hello!"_

_"Good day!"_

_"How is your wife?"_

A frantic looking woman stood by a cart.

_"I need six eggs!"_

_"That's too expensive!"_

Hermione sighed._ "There must be more to this provincial life!"_

She had finally reached the bookshop, and she stepped inside and found the owner right away.

"Ah, Hermione," said the bookseller, who was very used to Hermione coming to his shop.

"Hello," said Hermione. "I'm here to return the book I borrowed."

"You finished already?" asked the astonished bookseller. The book Hermione had borrowed was very thick.

"Oh, yes!" said Hermione. "I couldn't stop reading it. Do you have anything new here?"

"Not since yesterday," the bookseller laughed.

"That's fine," Hermione said, beginning to browse the shelves. She found what she was looking for and slipped it off the shelf. "I think I'll borrow this one."

"That one?" the bookseller asked. "You already read it five times!"

"Yes, I know," said Hermione. "But it's my favorite! The magic, the prince in disguise, the dangerous swordfights!"

The bookseller laughed again.

"If you like it that much, it's yours."

"Oh, no, I couldn't!"

"I insist."

"Thank you! Thank you very much!"

Hermione smiled at the bookseller, exited the shop, and opened the book so she could read it and walk at the same time.

A group of men and women spotted her, and like most people did, they began to talk about her.

_"Look there she goes, that girl is so peculiar_

_I wonder if she's feeling well_

_With a dreamy far off look_

_A her nose stuck in a book_

_What a puzzle to the rest of us, 'Mione,"_

But Hermione had not heard them again, she was too absorbed in her book, and decided to sit down for a short break and continue reading. An escaped cat from the magical creatures shop wandered over to her, and she patted it on the head and began to talk to it.

_"Oh, isn't this amazing?_

_It's my favorite part because---you'll see_

_Here's where she meets Prince Charming_

_But she's won't discover that it's him 'til chapter three!"_

Hermione patted the cat once more, and then set off on her walk around town again, causing people to spot her and talk about her some more.

_"Now it's no wonder that her name means 'Beauty'_

_Her looks have got no parallel,"_ a woman told a shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper answered back.

_"But behind that fair façade_

_I'm afraid she's rather odd_

_Very different from the rest of us,"_

Some nosy people came over and joined their conversation.

_"She's nothing like the rest of us_

_Yes different from the rest of us, 'Mione!"_

Meanwhile, Draco Malfoy was strutting around the town, challenging people to duels, which he always won, and so then he would collect a prize from the person.

"You did it, Draco!" cheered Draco's friend Goyle as another person fell to the ground. "You sure are the best dueler ever!"

"That's right," Draco gloated.

"There's nothing that can stand a chance against you," grunted Goyle. "No beast, no kid, and no girl."

"Yes, that is true, isn't it? I've got my sights set on that one," said  
Draco.

"What, the purple toad?" Goyle asked.

"No, you idiot!" Draco said, smacking Goyle on the back of the head. He pointed to Hermione, who was passing by. "I'm talking about Hermione."

"The dentist's daughter?"

"Yes, of course, how many other Hermiones do we know, Goyle?"

"Uh..."

"Goyle, stop that and shut up. Hermione is the most beautiful girl in town, and that makes her the best." Draco looked Goyle right in the eye. "And who deserves the best?"

"You do," said Goyle stupidly.

Draco looked over at Hermione again.

_"Right from the moment that I met her, saw her_

_I said she's gorgeous and I fell_

_Here in town there's only she_

_Who is beautiful as me_

_So I'm making plans to woo Hermione"_

Draco started making his way through the busy crowd with Goyle trailing behind him. They passed Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, and Blaise Zabini. Those three girls had always loved Draco, and as he passed they began to grin dreamily at him.

_"Look, there he goes_

_Isn't he dreamy?_

_Draco Malfoy_

_Oh, he's so cute!_

_Be still my heart_

_I'm hardly breathing_

_He's such a tall, dark, strong and handsome brute!"_

Draco looked over at them, and just for fun, he gave them a wink, which made the girls sigh and faint. He turned back around, after all, he was looking for Hermione. But the crowd was now so thick that it was hard to get through to her. And it was full of people shouting things too.

_"Hello!"_

_"You move!"_

_"Hey you!"_

_"You call this bacon?"_

_"What lovely grapes!"_

_"Some cheese!"_

_"Ten yards!"_

_"Hey, move!"_

_"I'll get the knife!"_

_"Hey, let me through!"_

_"This bread!"_

_"Those fish!"_

_"It's stale!"_

_"They smell!"_

_"Madam's mistaken!"_

_"Well maybe so!"_

_"Good morning, oh good morning!"_

Hermione looked at them all again.

_"There must be more to this provincial life!"_

Draco nudged his friend Crabbe.

_"Just watch, Hermione will be my wife!"_

And the townspeople continued to talk about Hermione as she walked along.

_"Look, there she goes_

_The girl is strange but special_

_A most peculiar mad'moiselle!_

_It's a pity and a sin_

_She doesn't quite fit in_

_'Cause she really is a funny girl_

_A beauty but a funny girl_

_She really is a funny girl_

_'Mione!"_

Hermione turned her head around from her book quickly. She could have sworn that everyone was crowding up on her and gossiping very loudly. But when she turned, she just saw the townspeople doing their business.

"There you are, Hermione," came a voice.

Hermione turned around to see whom it was, and sighed to herself.

"Hello, Draco."

"What is this?" Draco asked, coming over to her and taking the book. "Another one? Really, you read too much. You need a guy. Not this made up fairy tale rubbish." He threw the book down the street, where it landed in a large pile of mud.

Hermione frowned at him, but Draco didn't seem to notice. He was carrying on.

"Really, Hermione, it's not like you can marry those books, so why don't you go find yourself a nice guy. Such as me?"

Hermione had gone over to retrieve her book from the mud. The pages had gone all soggy and she tried to clean them off on her dress but the book was still rather wet and smelly.

"Draco, I don't want a guy. I'm contented as I am."

"Yeah, contented in your imaginary fairy tales. Come on, Hermione. What you want is standing right in front of you."

"Yes, it is. That is, if you mean my house. Goodbye, Draco." With that, Hermione turned around, walked the few steps to her house, entered it, and closed the door, leaving a scowling Draco outside.

----

**A/N: **So that's Chapter One! It was a lot like the film, I know, but this is how I wrote it in 2003 and I'm not changing it, even though I really hate this chapter. The others are a lot better. Anyway, be nice and leave a review? I've got chocolate... ;)


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione entered her home and was not surprised to see her father fiddling behind his dental project because he had been in that position for the last few months.

Edward Granger looked over the top of his invention at his daughter. "Hello, Hermione. Have a nice time out?"

Hermione shrugged. "I did get a new book."

"Another book?" Edward asked. His attention went right to his invention the next second though. "No, that doesn't go there…"

Hermione allowed her father a few minutes of working at his invention, and then voiced the question that had been stuck in her mind. "Do you think I'm weird?"

"Weird? No," Edward said. "Why?"

"Everyone in town thinks so. There's nobody her who understands me."

"Well, what about those two boys? Harry and Ron?"

"They're all right. But they're not really my friends. They think I'm a nuisance," said Hermione.

"What about Draco Malfoy? He seems fine."

"Yes, very fine," said Hermione. "A fine, self-conceited, handsome, rich snob."

Edward sighed. "Maybe we should leave Diagon Alley and go back to living in regular London."

"No!" Hermione protested. Her father had been working on a Muggle dentist project to show the wizards, and she didn't want him to have to stop it. "You have your important dental project to show the Ministry of Magic. They'll love it."

Edward looked at his invention. "I hope so."

In about fifteen minutes, Edward's invention was packed and he was ready to find his way to the Ministry of Magic.

Half an hour into his journey, however, it became clear to Edward that he was lost. He had managed to end up in a dark forest.

"This can't be right…" he muttered. "I'm supposed to see a building, not a forest…"

There was a click of pincers, and out of the forest came three large Acromantulas.

Edward turned around to find the source of the noise, and spotting the Acromantulas, he scurried down the forest. The Acromantulas chased after him, pincers clicking furiously, and Edward sprinted faster, looking for something, anything, that might save his life.

He spotted some bars ahead in the misty fog, and upon getting closer; he could see that it was a gate. Thrusting all his weight on it, the gate creaked open.

"Where do you think you're going, human?" one of the Acromantulas clicked.

Edward slammed the gate in the spider's face and ran toward the castle.

"A horrible beast lives up there. It will eat you alive!" another Acromantula called.

But Edward had reached the castle doors now and did not hear the message. He knocked on the door, but got no reply. Normally, Edward would not barge into someone's home, but because of the circumstances, he opened the door and cautiously stepped inside.

"Er…hello?" he asked. He got no reply and his question seemed to echo off the walls of the dark, gloomy castle.

"I was out and I lost my way…" he continued. "And I was just wondering if I could take shelter here…just for the night…"

On a nearby table was an ordinary candelabra and clock. Or at least, it _looked_ like an ordinary candelabra and clock.

"Don't you say a word," the clock mumbled.

"I won't if your nose doesn't start dripping," the candelabra mumbled back.

"Is anyone here?" Edward asked.

A drop of water from a small crack in the ceiling landed on the clock.

"Looks like you lose, Snivellus," whispered the candelabra.

"I did not, Black, it was the stupid ceiling that-"

"Of course you can stay here!" rang out the candelabra's voice.

"W-who was that?" Edward asked.

"Over here," said the candelabra.

Edward gasped as he spotted the talking candelabra. "Okay, even in the wizard word, there are no talking candlesticks…"

"You're not in just any part of the wizard world," said the candelabra. "I am Sirius Black, and this is Severus Snape. But he would really like it if you called him 'Snivellus' instead."

The clock leapt forward. "Don't mind him. He's crazy. He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"I certainly know what I'm talking about when I refer to a certain mark…that is dark…"

"All right, all right! Stop! Don't talk about it any further!"

"Good," Sirius smiled. He looked at Edward. "Come this way, sir." He jumped off the table and started hopping toward a room. Edward followed Sirius, astounded.

Snape made his way over to Sirius. "What are you doing? You're not going to let this man sit in _my_ chair, are you?"

"'Course not," Sirius said.

Snape breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm going to let him sit in Remus'," the Sirius finished.

Snape glared at him. "No you're not! He's not going to sit in any-" Sirius whacked him, and Snape fell back and over.

"In here!" Sirius called to Edward.

Edward entered into a room that would be completely dark if it weren't for the fire crackling in the fireplace. He had only just sat down when a blanket was put on him and a tea tray came speeding toward him.

"Tea?" asked the teapot.

"Uh, sure," Edward said.

The first sip was delicious, and he was just beginning to take a second sip when the door banged open like a gunshot.

Framed in the doorway stood Remus Lupin, looking extremely ill and his face full of rage.

"You know what, I was against this stupid thing, it was entirely Black's fault," Snape said quickly.

Remus ignored him and looked at Edward. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just here because…" Edward's voice faded out.

Sirius started speaking quickly. "Well, Remus, you see, this man was lost in the woods, and he came-"

"What, did you come to stare at the Big Bad Werewolf and see if the stories were true?" Remus asked, his voice cruel and his mind mixed with angst, anger and depression as it so often was.

"No!" Edward trembled. "I was looking for a place to stay!"

"Don't you worry. I have a place for you to stay." And Remus picked up his wand, muttered a spell, and had Edward levitated out of room and down a staircase.

---

"Now then, Goyle, do you remember the plan?" Draco asked. They were standing outside Hermione's house, and, without her knowing, had a celebration set up where most of the villagers were.

"Uh, yeah," Goyle said. "She comes out, and then we eat cake, right?"

"No," Draco said. "I go in, propose to her, she'll say 'yes', come out-"

"And then we eat cake?"

"No! There is no cake involved!"

"Then why is there cake here?"

"Because it's a party! Now shut up, I've got to make my speech," Draco said. He cleared his throat and looked over at everyone. "Good, you're all here for my wedding celebration like I told you to. Now I have to go propose."

Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, and Blaise Zabini burst into tears.

"Don't do this!" cried Millicent.

"I love you more than she will!" shouted Blaise.

"Forget her and marry me instead!" yelled Pansy.

Draco winked at them for fun once more and then knocked on Hermione's door.

Hermione had no idea who it could be. The first person she suspected was her father, but it was impossible that he'd be back. Hermione glanced out the window and groaned once she saw that is was Draco. Reluctantly, she opened the door, and Draco bounded inside.

"My dear Hermione! I hope you know what day it is."

Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but Draco interrupted her.

"Today is the day when all of your dreams come true. And do you know what dreams those are?"

"Not really," Hermione said.

"Those dreams are- hold on, wait a minute." Draco pulled a bottle of hair gel from his pocked at opened it up. He took a gob out, rubbed it on his hands, and then slicked back his hair. After checking in the mirror that it was perfect, he put the bottle away and turned to Hermione. "As I was saying, I know that your dream, like every other girl's, is to marry me. Don't ask how I knew that, I'm gifted, I know."

"I'm not sure that I really want to-"

"Picture this," said Draco, interrupting her again. "Us two living in my mansion, having a nice dinner, you putting the kids to bed, you spending a romantic evening with me, and me wearing leather pants. They'll be a million, of course."

"Romantic evenings?" Hermione cringed.

"No!" said Draco. "Pairs of leather pants. So, let's get it started. Will you marry me?"

"I…I don't know what to say."

"How about saying you'll marry me?"

"I could, except…"

"Except what?"

Hermione slapped him. "Except I don't want to disappoint your fan girls!"

Now that Draco had been slapped, he was very dizzy, so Hermione seized the moment, opened the door, and pushed him out.

"Cake time!" Goyle shouted as Draco came flying out of the house and landed with a loud thump on the hard ground.

While Goyle started running to the food table, Pansy, Millicent and Blaise screamed and ran over to Draco.

"Oh, Draco! Are you okay?" they said, making a fuss over him. When he had managed to get them all off, Goyle came over to him with a load of cake on a plate.

"Want some?" Goyle asked.

Draco took some cake and shoved it in Goyle's face. "I'll have Hermione! No matter what!"

---

A while later, Hermione came outside and looked around. "Is he gone?" she muttered to herself. "I can't believe it. That self-conceited snob wanted me to marry him! That idiot…

_Mrs. Malfoy_  
_Can't you just see it?  
__Mrs. Malfoy  
__His little wife  
__No sir, not me  
__I guarantee it  
__I want much more than this provincial life!_

_I want adventure in the great wide somewhere  
I want it more than I can tell  
And for once it might be grand  
To have someone understand  
I want so much more than they've got planned…"_

Hermione settled down into the grass and a small figure appeared on the horizon getting larger as it came closer. The setting sun shone on the figure's hair, illuminating it to look as if it were on fire. It was Ron Weasley.

"Hermione!" he called. "Hermione!" When he had finally reached her, he fell down on the grass too.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Okay," Ron panted. "The Ministry of Magic was tracking your dad-"

"Why were they tracking my dad?"

"I dunno, probably just to make sure that he got there. Anyway, he got lost, and he ended up in that haunted castle."

"What?" Hermione scrambled to her feet. "I have to find him! Do you know which way it is?"

"Well, yeah, but I really don't want to go there…"

"Ronald! Take me to the castle!"

"Oh, all right, fine…" Ron mumbled.

Sometime later, Ron and Hermione were in the dark forest and had reached the castle gate.

"It's just through there," said Ron. "I'm going to leave now. I don't like it here. There are too many spiders. 'Bye." And with that, Ron left her.

Hermione pushed open the gate and ran up toward the castle doors. She pushed those open too and stepped inside. "Hello?" she asked. "Dad?" She wandered around the castle some more, and then asked, "Dad?" again.

Sirius and Snape had taken notice of her.

"Look! A girl!" said Sirius. "Maybe she's the one!"

Snape eyed Hermione. "Hmm…she's... attractive."

Sirius smacked him. "Not for you, Snivellus! All those times I attempted to fix you up and _now_ you're interested! I don't think she's really going to be interested in a clock. Especially since you look better as a clock then yourself."

"Black, if I could use my wand, do you know what I'd-"

"Well, you can't. And Snivelly, I'm sure you don't like being a clock as much as I don't like being a candelabra, so shut up."

Snape glared at him and stormed off, and Sirius silently followed Hermione.

"Can you hear me, dad?" she asked, deciding to go lookdown a dark staircase. When she reached the bottom, she saw a number of cells and knew that this was the dungeon.

"Hermione?" coughed a voice.

Hermione ran over to the cell where she heard the voice and saw her father.

"Listen, Hermione, go! Leave!" he said urgently. "You don't know what the man here is!"

Hermione wasn't listening. "Who did this to you?"

Before Edward could answer, the door banged open and Remus Lupin had stormed into the room. "Who invited you here?"

"No one," said Hermione weakly. "I just came for my father. Will you let him go?"

"No!" said Remus. "He is my prisoner now."

"Please!" Hermione begged. "I'll do anything!"

"There's nothing you can do," he said. And then, though more to himself, he added, "There's nothing anyone can do."

Hermione was silent for a few moments, and then she spoke. "What if…what if I traded spots with him?"

Remus was astonished. He had never heard of anyone doing such a thing. "You would do that for him?"

"Hermione, no, don't do it!" Edward told her.

Hermione ignored him. "Yes," she said do Remus. "But…if I did…you would have to let him go."

Remus contemplated the idea. "Then you would take his place and stay here forever?"

Hermione didn't really like the idea of having to stay forever, but she wanted to get her father out of the gloomy castle, and at last she said, "Yes."

"Done!" Remus told her. He went over and opened Edward's cell, then dragged him over to a fireplace. He drew out his want, lit a fire, and threw some glittery powder into the flames. "Say 'Diagon Alley'," he instructed. Then he pushed Edward into the fireplace.

"Diagon Alley?" Edward tried to ask him, but it was much too late. The flames whipped over Edward and he vanished out of sight.

Hermione looked at Remus to the empty fireplace, and then back again. "You did even let me say goodbye! And I'll probably never see him again! My own father!" she wept.

There was an unusual mixture of sympathy, hatred and guilt in Remus' mind, and he tried to brush it off by saying, "Come on, I'll take you to your room."

Hermione looked up in confusion. "You mean I'm not staying h-?"

"If you want to stay here, then go right ahead. Don't come."

"No, of course I don't want to stay here," Hermione said.

"Follow me."

Remus and Hermione left the cells and started walking down the corridors in silence. Remus carried Sirius the candelabra as a source of light in the darkness, and Sirius kept whispering things to him. The more Remus didn't listen, the more frequently Sirius whispered things.

"Say something nice to her!"

Finally, Remus gave up. "So…I hope you will like it here…"

Hermione gave no reply, and a tear silently flowed down her cheek.

"Say something else!"

"Er…now that the castle is your new home, you may go anywhere you want. Except for the Shrieking Shack at the West Wing," Remus added sternly.

"What's there?" Hermione asked, slightly curious.

"It's forbidden! That's all!" he said sharply.

"Oh…" she muttered softly.

They had soon reached a pair of doors, and Remus stopped at them. "This will be your room."

"Hey! Why don't you invite her to dinner?" Sirius urged.

"Join me for dinner," said Remus. "And that wasn't a request!" He closed the door and left.

Hermione stood in the darkness of the room, the shocking moments of what happened to her that day running through her mind while at the same time, dreading the future of living in the castle. She sunk to the ground and sobbed.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Again, I obviously don't own 'Beauty and the Beast'. Also, there is a Draco version of the Gaston song in here. This new Draco version is by Tiffany Riddle from Fiction Alley. Also, on Harry Potter Filks (see link in my profile) she has a few length HP version of Beauty and the Beast, which has this song in there. Enjoy!

* * *

Meanwhile, Draco Malfoy sat in the Leaky Cauldron, sitting in a chair near the fire. The moment Goyle came over to him, Draco began ranting.

"No one does this to me! No little mudblood dares to reject the proposal of marriage from me! No one! I'm the most gorgeous guy in town!"

Goyle held up a large bottle. "Want some Firewhisky?"

Draco cracked open the bottle and took a sip, but then shook his head. He threw the bottle behind him where Marcus Flint caught it and gulped the rest of it down. Draco made a sound between a sigh and a grunt. "Nothing helps."

"Yeah, but you know what always helps?" Goyle pulled a soggy lump from his pocket and took a bite. "Cake!"

Draco looked at him disgustedly. "Goyle, you're an idiot."

"I know," said Goyle happily.

"And I'm…I'm a handsome guy who's been disgraced."

"Aw, Draco!" said Goyle. He stuck his face in front of Draco's and tried to cheer him up.

_"Gosh, it upsets me to see you Draco  
__Looking so miserable  
__Ev'ry guy here'd love to be you Draco  
__Even on dueling tables  
__There's no guy in town as generous as you  
__You're ev'ryone's favorite guy  
__Everyone's awed or terrified by you  
__And it's not very hard to see why!"_

Draco raised an eyebrow at him. Goyle could be such an idiot at times. Actually, all of the time. And right in front of Draco's eyes, Goyle began to sing and dance stupidly.

_"No one's slick as Draco!  
__No one's quick as Draco!  
__No one plays such bloody brilliant tricks as Draco's!  
__For there's no guy in town half as wealthy  
__Perfect, a pure paragon  
__You can ask either Blaise, Flint, or Bletchley  
__And they'll tell you whose team they prefer to be on!"_

Goyle waved his arms encouragingly at Draco's friends in the Leaky Cauldron, and got them all to sing along with him.

_"No one's swell like Draco  
__Uses gel like Draco  
__No one's got a family tree to tell like Draco!"_

_"As a pureblood I am quite intimidating,"_ Draco admitted.

_"I want a guy like Draco!" _Pansy, Millicent, and Blaise swooned.

The people in the bar went into a huge cheer for Draco.

_"Give five hip hips!  
__Give twelve hoorays!"_

_"Draco is the best  
__On Potter's best days!" _Goyle announced.

It was becoming a sort of Draco Malfoy praise time. And Draco had to admit, he was beginning to like it a lot when the crowd began singing about him again.

_"No one fights like Draco!  
__Has highlights like Draco!  
__In a potions room nobody smites like Draco!"_

_"For there's no one as intense and witty,"_ the girls sighed again.

_"As you know, I've got galleons to spare!" _Draco told them.

_"Not a bit of him's stupid or ugly!" _Goyle added.

_"That's right, and if Potter died I just wouldn't care!"_

Everyone was now on their feet and singing Draco's praises.

_"No one thinks like Draco!  
__Can make tweaks like Draco!  
__In a Quidditch match nobody seeks like Draco!"_

_"I'm especially good at other team beating!" _announced Draco.

_"Our favorite Draco!"_

Draco was beginning to feel a great deal better. He still was upset about Hermione. He really still did want her…but in the meantime, this would do. All of these people loved him…and he _did_ have three extremely obsessive fan girls…He walked over and grinned at them, and then told everyone some more things about himself.

_"When I was a boy I had four dozen elves  
__Everyday to do all of the house chores  
__And now that I'm grown I have five dozen elves  
__So we've got very glittery floors!"_

Everyone seemed even more impressed. Pansy, Millicent, and Blaise sighed again.

_"No one aims like Draco!  
__Plays mind games like Draco!"_

_"And can say he has an ancient name like Draco!"_ sang Crabbe. 

_"I have Death Eaters in all of my family," _Draco told them.

That made the girls sighs for him even louder. Draco stood on a chair as everyone else stood around him worshipping him.

_"Say it again  
__Who's man of a man?  
__And we'll say it once more  
__Who's that wizard next door?  
__Who's that super success?  
__Don't you know? Can't you guess?  
__By his friends and many hangers on?  
__There's only one guy in town  
__Who's the coolest around!"_

_"And his name's D-R-A-C," _Goyle began, but stopped. He seemed to have forgotten how to spell Draco's name. _"D-R-A-C-E…"_

_"D-R-A-K-O," _Crabbe finished as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Those two really were idiots. But hey, at least they all thought he was the best.

_"Draco!"_

A minute later, Edward had burst into the Leaky Cauldron.

"Hey, it's that dumb guy!" said Crabbe.

Draco smirked. That really was hypocritical of Crabbe to say, as he really wasn't that smart either. However, Draco completely agreed to what Crabbe said after hearing Edward's next sentence.

"He's got her! A terrible monster has got Hermione!"

Everyone in the Leaky Cauldron laughed at him, and Marcus Flint even sprayed his Firewhisky all over the table.

"Did it have long white teeth?" mocked Warrington.

"Yes, he must!" said Edward.

"And was it all hairy?" mocked Montague.

"Oh, yes, I imagine he will be!" said Edward. "Will you help me?"

"Of course we will," sneered Draco. "Flint, Pucey, go help him out."

Flint and Pucey snickered, then walked over to Edward. They each seized him by an arm and chucked him out the door.

"That crazy old Edward!" Pucey snorted.

"Yeah, he's the dumbest thing that's happened to this place since Crabbe and Goyle," added Flint.

"Now wait a minute, I resemble that remark!" Crabbe retorted.

Draco, however, was sitting in his chair again, deep in thought. "Crazy old Edward…crazy old Edward… Maybe not so crazy…Goyle, get over here!"

"What?" Goyle asked.

_"Goyle, I'm afraid I've been thinking,"_ Draco told him.

_"A really strange pastetime-" _began Goyle, but Draco cut him off.

_"I know  
__But that wacky old coot's 'Mione's father  
__And his sanity's only so-so  
__Now the wheels in my head have been turning  
__Since I looked at that loony old man  
__See, I promised myself that I'd marry 'Mione  
__And right now I'm evolving a plan!  
__If I…"_

"Yes?" Goyle asked.

"Then we…" Draco continued.

"No! Would she…?"

"Guess!"

"Oh! I get it now! Wait… No I don't!"

"Well you'll know. You know me. Come on, let's go!"

Draco and Goyle leapt up with grins on their faces.

_"No one plots like Draco!  
__Takes cheap shots like Draco!  
__Plans to persecute harmless crackpots like Draco!"_

_"So his marriage we soon'll be celebrating!"_ cheered the people in the pub.

"No!" sobbed Pansy, Blaise, and Millicent.

_"My what a guy!  
__Draco!"_

----

Hermione was still sitting in room crying.

"I'm sorry you're still upset. But it's really not that bad here," said a voice.

Hermione turned and looked around. "Who was that?"

"Oh, just me," said her dresser.

"You? But… inanimate objects are never speaking unless the proper spell is cast on them, and anyway at that point…"

"Don't make it that complicated on yourself," said the dresser. "I was an actual person, but then this happened. It's a long story. Just call me Tonks. It's my surname, but I hate my first name."

"I'm sure it's a very pretty one," said Hermione.

"_Nymphadora_," shuddered Tonks. "Would you really want to be named _Nymphadora_?"

"Well…not really," said Hermione.

"Exactly," said Tonks. "Anyway, it's not that bad around here once you get used to it. But it really was a brave thing you did today."

"But I absolutely hate it here!"

"Well…maybe you'll change your mind after you go to dinner. It'll be in a few minutes, so why don't we find you something nice to wear? Like…" Tonks opened the drawers, and as they opened, Hermione could see that all the dresses were on a large heap on the bottom. "Oh no, I dropped them again! How embarrassing!" Tonks closed the drawers, and then opened them again, and the dresses were hung up neatly. "You'll look great in this one," said Tonks, holding out a golden dress to Hermione,

Hermione pushed the dress away. "Thank you, but I'm not going."

"Not going?" Tonks asked. "But you have to go! He told you to!"

The door opened again, and Snape stepped in. "Dinner is served."

Down in the dinner room, Remus sat impatiently while being watched by Sirius and Minerva McGonagall, who had been transfigured into a teapot. After not being able to take it anymore, Remus abruptly stood up, knocking over the chair. "Where is she? I told her to come and join me!"

"Now be patient, Remus, you're normally not angry like this at all!" Minerva said.

"Well then why don't you try being a werewolf and see what it does to you!" shouted Remus. "And not only that, but I'm a werewolf because of my stupid parents, and I've brought the spell on the castle and everyone here! And the rose is already beginning to wilt, and if I can't find a girl before the rose completely wilts, then we're all doomed to be like this forever! Yes, Sirius, I am aware that this is all my fault, so don't you start nagging on me too!"

"I wasn't going to!" Sirius said quickly. "I was just wondering if you'd given any thought to this being the girl."

"Of course I have! Why do you think I invited her to dinner?"

"Good, then!" said Sirius. "You fall in love with her, she falls in love with you…"

"Really, Sirius!" said Minerva. "She lost her freedom and her father in one day! Do you think she'd really adjust and like it here that much?"

"She might," Sirius shrugged.

Remus sighed. "It may never even work. She's so beautiful, and I'm so…well…look at me!" The fire illuminated his tired, ill face and his hair that was lightly flecked with gray.

"Then you'll just have to make up for it with your personality," said Minerva.

"Exactly," Sirius agreed. "So, when she comes in, you are going to give her a dazzling smile."

"And," Minerva added, giving a side-glance to Sirius who cottoned on.

"You must control your temper!" they warned.

"No speeches, please," said Sirius.

The door began to open.

"That's probably her!" said Sirius.

Remus anticipated Hermione coming in, and tried to smile, but it quickly faded when Snape came in.

"Snivellus!" scolded Sirius. "I told you! Stop trying to do imitations of girls! If you're going to imitate someone, stick with hobos!"

"Shut up!" Remus told Sirius. "Snape, where is she?"

"Oh, she's just in the fundamental process…of not coming."

"She's _what?_" Remus streaked out of the room, up the stairs, and to Hermione's bedroom with Sirius, Minerva, and Snape trailing after him. "Didn't I tell you to join me for dinner?"

"I'm not coming!" came Hermione's voice.

"Come out here right now or I will…. huff, puff, and blow the room down!"

"Well for someone who doesn't want anyone to know he's a werewolf, you're doing an awfully good job!" whispered Sirius sarcastically.

"Be gentle," said Minerva.

"Or at least try," mumbled Snape.

Remus tried to calm himself. "Won't you please come down to dinner?"

"No! I won't!"

"But….I would be hugely overjoyed if I was acquainted with your presence at a nice meal that is being served now. Please."

"I'm not hungry!"

Remus' anger took control of him again, and his tranquility fell apart. "Fine, then! Just stay in there and starve! Don't come at all! It won't be my fault!" Remus turned to the other three. "If she's not hungry, then she's not hungry! She won't eat at all! Got it?" With that, Remus stormed away.

"Oh dear," said Minerva.

"Black, you stay there," said Snape. "And come and tell me if she changes her mind. Or if she would like to have a long, fun talk with me."

Sirius slapped him again. "You've been confusing fantasy and reality again, Snivellus. Now go away, I'm sure that you need to wipe all that grease off you."

Snape huffed at him and walked off.

Remus entered his room, the room where he transformed every month as well. Most everything was ripped or torn, and there was a chair missing a leg. As soon as he got in, he shut the door and began talking furiously to himself.

"I let her father go. I give her a nice room. I allow her to anywhere she likes, with the exception of this room. I invite her to dinner. What more does she want from me?"

Much more, he knew. But he was too angry to pay attention to that voice inside himself. He walked over to his magic mirror, and said, "Show me her!" He saw Hermione I her room, crying, and Tonks trying to comfort her.

"He's not that bad once you get to know him. He can be nice sometimes," said Tonks.

"I don't want to get to know him! He acts like a beast!"

"Hermione-"

"I hate everything about him!"

Remus set the mirror down, and his mood did not improve when he saw another rose petal fall.

"It's hopeless," he told himself sadly. "I'll never be anything to her…but a monster."


	4. Chapter 4

Later on, Hermione regretted saying that she wasn't hungry, because truthfully she was. Quietly as she could, she snuck out of her room and looked for the kitchen.

Sirius had not seen her leave, because he had left his guarding spot. Though a mischief-maker he was, Sirius could always be counted upon to be loyal- except when the feather duster, Emmeline Vance came around. Lately, he had been flirting with her.

"Be careful, Sirius. I know you have burnt me before. And it really hurts, you know!" said Emmeline.

"Of course I won't burn you, my dear Emmeli-" Sirius stopped speaking suddenly when he saw Hermione walk past him. "Oh no, she left!" He accidentally burned Emmeline, and she fell to the ground with a whimper as Sirius followed Hermione.

A second later, however, he returned to Emmeline. "Whoops, sorry about that. Didn't mean to do that, got to get going, you're quite cute you know, bye!" he said and ran off again behind Hermione.

Hermione had finally reached a pair of doors that looked like they belonged to the kitchens. She timidly pushed them open, and looked into the kitchens. "Hello?"

"Hello," said Snape, coming over to her. "I am Severus Snape, the offi- ow!"

Sirius had come bounding in, knocking Snape over, and didn't bother to apologize like he had to Emmeline earlier.

"And that was Sirius," Snape wheezed.

"Are you alright?" Minerva asked.

Snape shook his head. "Minerva, I actually-"

"Oh, be quiet, Snape. I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to Hermione," said Minerva.

"Well," said Hermione. "I'm…er…rather hungry."

Minerva smiled. "Did everyone hear that? She's hungry!" At once, everything in the kitchen popped out.

"There's no need for all of this!" complained Snape, who seemed to have lost all interest in Hermione. "Give her a cauldron cake or something and tell her to go to bed!"

"No, no, Snape! She is our guest! And I had to think how you would treat_ your_ guests. If you ever had any, that is," said Sirius. "Just in there," he said to Hermione, gesturing to the dining room. "That is where your dinner will be served."

Hermione walked into the room.

"And what would dinner be without some music?" Sirius said, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Music?" Snape asked. "Black, what did I tell you about singing?"

But Sirius had already leaped into the room after Hermione. He gave a suave grin to her and said, "Hello. We are more than welcomed to be serving you your dinner. And, we invite you to be our guest." He grinned some more and began singing.

_"Be our guest  
__Be our guest  
__Put our- _mmmfffwhmit!"

The third line of Sirius' song had been ruined as Snape came in and covered Sirius' mouth. "_No more singing!_ Not after you followed me around singing a shampoo jingle!"

Hermione began giggling at the two of them.

"Yes, well, I was just making a point," Sirius said simply.

"No singing!" Snape repeated. He glanced over at Hermione's giggles. "Well, enjoy your food. Without the annoying songs." Snape then pulled Sirius away from the table.

A while later, Hermione had finished eating a delicious dinner, and no songs had been sung. Sirius and Snape had come back into the room to see how she was doing.

"So? Did you like it?" asked Sirius.

"It was wonderful!" said Hermione. "And so delicious!"

"Good. It's time to go to bed now," said Snape angrily.

"Oh, but you know what I'd really like? A tour of the castle," said Hermione.

"Of course!" agreed Sirius.

"Absolutely not," said Snape.

"But I'd really like a tour," said Hermione told Snape. "And…I'm sure that you would be the one to…know everything there is to know about the castle."

Snape had been rolling his eyes and glaring angrily, but at Hermione's words, he paused.

"Come to think of it, I _do_."

Minutes later, Snape was leading the tour of the castle and adding very annoying commentary.

"And this, as you see on the upper left hand wall, is a painting of a Kappa. Kappas, as you know, are more commonly found in Mongolia."

"No they're not," Sirius contradicted. "They're from Japan."

"No, no, you mean Mongolia."

"Actually, I mean Japan."

"Mongolia!"

"Japan!"

"Mongolia!"

"Japan!"

As the two began to bicker, Hermione wandered off. She found a large set of stairs and was just beginning to walk up them when Snape and Sirius ran over and stepped in her way.

"There's nothing up there that you would want to see," said Snape quickly. "The Shrieking Shack is just a nasty place, completely covered in junk…"

"Ah, so _that's_ where the Shrieking Shack is," said Hermione keenly.

Sirius slapped Snape yet again. "Way to go, Snivelly."

Hermione was too busy gazing up the stairs to notice Sirius' action. "I wonder what he's hiding up there?"

"Hiding?" asked Sirius, his voice higher than usual. "What on earth would give you the idea that he's hiding something?"

"It wouldn't be forbidden otherwise," Hermione pointed out.

"Well…you haven't seen the History of Potion Making yet!" said Snape, trying to prevent Hermione from climbing any more stairs.

"Or…er…the library!" suggested Sirius.

"You have a library?" Hermione asked, turning around to look at them for the first time since she had been on the stairs.

"Oh, yes!" said Sirius. "It's just covered with books, isn't it Sniv- I mean, Snape?"

"Exactly," replied Snape in mock kindness to Sirius. "It's full to bursting."

"We should go now, shouldn't we?" asked Sirius.

"Yes, let's go," said Snape. He and Sirius unwillingly linked arms and walked off to the library, happily chattering about books. The only reason that they were linking arms and being so friendly was that they were trying to lure Hermione away from the Shrieking Shack. But Hermione wasn't following them.

Her eyes were back upon the stairs, and she climbed them to the Shrieking Shack. She stopped suddenly, knowing that she wasn't supposed to be here, but some sort of daring and need for answers seized her, and she opened the doors and walked inside.

Immediately, Hermione saw that the room had been torn, uncared for, and it seemed that someone had continuously unleashed their anger here. She had never seen such a room.

But what really caught her attention was something that was absolutely beautiful, something that stood out because it actually looked cared for. On a small table, incredibly bright, was the enchanted rose that Morgan LeFay had left Remus, the only hope he had for removing the curse. Hermione gazed through the glass case, and then had a desire to take off the case and smell the rose. She took off the case and was just about to touch the rose, but her hand was suddenly pushed aside, and the glass case immediately put back on the rose.

Hermione looked up and saw Remus looking her fiercely in the eye. "What are you doing here? I told you that you weren't supposed to come here!"

"I- I'm sorry…" Hermione stuttered.

"Get out!" Remus shouted "Get o-" He stopped abruptly. He wasn't looking at Hermione any more; instead he was looking beyond the window, his face full of fear, and his body very still.

And then it began.

Remus started yelling in pain as he began to transform into a werewolf, his snout emerging, his shoulders hunching, his hands curling into clawed paws.

It was like watching a car wreck. Hermione didn't like what was happening, she knew she would hate the result, but all the same, she couldn't avert her eyes. She stood there, wide-eyed, watching Remus transform until she had enough sense to run as fast as she could from the room.

"Hey, where are you going?" Sirius, who was back with Snape from the library, called as Hermione ran down the stairs toward the doors. "You were supposed to be coming with us to the library!"

"I can't believe that…that beast!" said Hermione, pulling on a cloak. "No, I'm sorry, I can't stay! He was a werewolf the whole time! No matter if I gave some stupid promise, I can't stay here forever!" She opened the door and ran off.

The winter season had come and the air was nippy, and Hermione ignored it as best as she could, because the only thing that mattered to her was getting herself as far away from that castle as possible. But soon her luck in the forest was as good as her father's. The Acromantulas were back.

"Hey look, food!" said one to another. "If we bring this back to Dad, we'll be his favorite sons for sure!"

"Yeah!" the other one agreed.

They chased up behind Hermione, and although she began running as fast as she could, the Acromantulas were much quicker and had gotten hold of her.

"Dad!" called one of them. "We have something for you!"

A very large Acromantula emerged from the forest, and Hermione trembled. This was it; the Acromantulas were going to eat her. She would be gone…that's the end…

And then, there was an echoing howl, and the next thing she knew, she had been pushed aside, free from the Acromantulas' grip.

Hermione rubbed her head, and then looked up. She could not believe that the werewolf Remus had actually come to save her.

Remus began attacking the Acromantulas, and they attacked him back. Blood was flying, cuts and bites were made, but Remus was very fierce and after a while, the Acromatulas had fled back into the forest.

Exhausted, Remus' dazed eyes met Hermione's for a brief second, and memories flashed through his head. His parents, the horrible transformations, the shame, the anger. How he had been so cruel to Hermione, but he had never meant to, not really…the curse, the rose. Hermione. So beautiful…so much to believe…

And he collapsed to the ground.

Hermione was very unsure of what to do now; after all, her mind was very confused. She had always thought Remus to be a mean, uncaring brute. But maybe there was something more to Remus…or maybe she was out of her mind.

She gently prodded him, but Remus did not move. She checked his pulse, and knew that he was not dead. She decided that it would be a while until he regained consciousness, and that there was no way she would be able to take him up to the castle, so she set off to the castle alone, knowing she would see Remus later.

When Hermione entered the castle again, Sirius and Snape came running to meet her.

"Hermione! You're back!" said Sirius the same time that Snape said, "I see you realized that you cannot last out there."

Hermione didn't seem to hear Snape, though. "Yeah…well, I was out, and then these Acromantulas came…but then there was Remus, and he…came and saved me…"

"He did?" asked Sirius eagerly.

"Yes. And then…he fainted."

"That's to be expected," said Sirius. "Well…er…now you know. Remus is a werewolf. And the full moon and the transformation always takes a lot out of him. And then if he's been fighting…He should be back tomorrow. He usually comes around in the morning, but in this case, it might be the afternoon.

Hermione nodded, and then ran back upstairs to her room.

Sirius was right; it was around the middle of the afternoon that Remus came back to the castle. He looked a mess. His robes were all ripped and torn, as well as bloody from the cuts, scratches, and scrapes he had. There were dark bags under his eyes as well.

"I'm back," Remus mumbled as he slumped over to a nearby chair. His blood stained the chair, but that was the least of his worries now because…oh, he didn't even want to deal with it. Remus could feel his eyelids droop over his bloodshot eyes and it made him feel a little more tranquil, but his body still ached horribly all over. Full moons were absolutely awful, but they were never anything like this.

_Well, that's because you saved her last night, didn't you?_ said a small voice in his head. Yes, yes he had. And why had he? Could it be because he- no, well, yes…the whole debate was annoying him and giving him an extremely bad headache.

Remus groaned, rubbed his head with his hand, and leaned back further in the chair.

Someone entered the room and walked over to him. "Wow…I mean, do you feel alright?" It was Sirius.

Remus grunted as his answer.

"There's someone here who wants to see you now. So, I'll just go…" said Sirius.

Remus still didn't open his eyes, but he could hear Sirius walking away. Of course, he didn't know that Sirius, Snape and Minerva were standing in a hallway beside the room, eagerly listening to see if Remus had changed at all.

Another set of footsteps came toward him, and he slowly opened his heavy eyelids, and found that it was Hermione. He wanted to say something, but his voice was much too exhausted.

"Erm…hello," said Hermione timidly.

Remus swallowed and tried to get his voice to work. A hoarse, disgruntled sounding "hi," came out. Not the kind of tone that he had wanted.

Hermione didn't realize this, and took it that Remus wanted to be left alone. "Alright, I'll make this quick then."

Remus tried to make his voice sound more relaxed, and it kind of worked. "No, no, that's alright…"

Hermione did look a bit calmer. "I, uh…just wanted to thank you for saving my life. If you hadn't, I know I would be dead now. So…thank you."

Thank you. Remus hadn't heard those words in a long time. "Well…you're welcome."

Hermione was silent for a while, and then asked, "How did you know where I ran off to?"

Remus blushed, and it brought some color back into his pale face. He hesitated before answering. "Wolf…instincts," he said, aware of how stupid he must sound.

Hermione didn't seem to mind. Her eyes slowly flicked through all of his injuries. "Do you…do you want me to get you something? You know, for your injuries?"

"Erm…all right. Thank you."

Hermione gave a small sort of smile at him, and then walked off. Remus closed his eyes again, feeling that maybe, just maybe, things would get better. Maybe.


End file.
